Tank seam



irons. `In additi'on to strengthening the- Patented sept. e, y1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN, F PARKERSBUBG, WESTVIRGINIA,v ASSIGNOB '.IO THE PABXEBSBUBG--RIG & REEL COMPANY,OF'PABKEBSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A

CORPORATION 0F WEST VIRGINIA TANKSEAIKV Application led August 3, 193,1.'Serielle 554,891.

This invention relates to storage tanks, and more particularly to a seamconstruction for the side plates of oil storage tanks.

. It is the present practice to store p11 1n tanksof great capacityranging upwardly .from a capacity1 of 250 barrels. l:Such tanks agetakes place to a material extent, no at-V tention is paid to theleakage. The structure has the distinct further disadvantage, however,in that it requires a channel lron at each side seam, and eachchanneliron must Y be punched to provide bolt receiving openvvings, andsince the bolts usually are arranged on two inch centers, it will beapparent that the structure requires the punching of a large number ofopenings for all lof the channel structure, the channel irons haveinwardly opening channels which receive the bolt heads and prevent theturning thereof, whereby the nuts von the'outside of the tankl may betightened in the event excess leakage takes place.'

lAn important object of thepresenti'nvention is to provide la tankco'nstruction'whichV possesses all of the rigidity of the priorconstructions referred to, but wherein the use of channelirons and thenecessity of punching openings therein are eliminated.

A further object"l is to provide a novel construction wherein the .edgeportions of the tank plates themselves are depended upon to provide thenecessary rigidity and to provide means for preventing theturning of thebolt heads to permit the nuts ofithe bolts to be. tightened from theoutside of= the tank Y overlapping edges of the sheetslO, and boltssecure these overlapping edges toward each other with the packing'lclamped there- 1 when the latteris filled with oil.

A further Objectis to provide a seam struc- 'wtulre of the characterreferred to which'pertank and to permit the use yof securing boltsarranged a greater distance apart.

A further' object is to provide an interlocking seam construction whichis advantageous over prior constructions referred to in that eachoverlapping edge of a pair o f adjacent sheets are stifened, whereas inthe usual constructions only the inner overlapping edge against thechannel is st'ilfened while the other 'sheet'is free to buckle betweethe bolts.

A furtherobject is to pol'vide an interlockl ing seam of the characterreferred to wherein the strength. of the seain"doesnot depend whollyupon the shear of the bolts alone but is greatly-increased b the gripupon the interlocked portions of t e sheets forming the side of thetank..

. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become app I of thefollowing description.

In thedrawing I have shown several embodiments of the invention. In thisshowing Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of theadjacent edges of two` tank plates, shown separated,

Figure 2 is an e arged horizontal detailed Asectional view th ugh theseam-and the associated elements,

Figure 3 is a similar .view of a modified form of the seam structure,and,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing a further4 modification. i .VReferring to Figures land 2,-numera1 10 designates. a pair ofadjacent-plates for the A side wall of an'oil storage tank. Eachplate isprovided at a point spaced from-its vertical edge witha stamped orrolled offset portion 11 forming a rib for a purpose to be described.The outermost' portions of the ribs may be joined to the body ofbetween. Each boltjincludes a head 16 arranged within the tank, and anut 17 arrent during the course the -`plates by sloping. portions 12,although the exact shape ofsuc j portions is not of material importance..1 The oon ` f ranged externally of the tank. It will be apparentthatflat packing may be employed,

i* and when the bolts are tightened, the packing forms a channel 18 inwhich the bolt heads 16 are arranged.

In the form of the invention shown 1n ,Figure 3, side lates 19 and20-are employed,

the vertical e e of the plate 19.be1ng arranged within t e plate 20 andprovided with;

I ac

' tween the overlapping portions of the sheets 19 and'20,. and thetightening of the. boltsi I l spaced relatively narrow ribs 21 forming aannel 22 in which the bolt head is arranged.

The bolt may be identical with the bolt previ- Y described and need notbe referred toin ously detail. l

The formation of theribs 21`forms small channels 23 between the adjacentfaces of the plates 19 and 2O.- A compressible packing 24;

preferably formed ofrubber, is arranged be'- deforms the packing so asto cause portions thereof to enter and fill the small channels 23,

. as clearly shown in Figure 3'.

i .plates 25 are employed, each of which is prof 30,4 vided with spacedrelatively narrow ribs 26,

The'form of the invention shown in Fi re 4 is somewhat' similar toFigure 3. ide

similar to the ribs 21 previousl described, and theribs of the innerplate 25 orm a channel 27 to receive the bolt head. The ribs of theouter plate 25 correspond in position to the ribs of the inner plate 25,and accordingly the space in which the packing 27 is arranged thelaborlof applying them.

is f substantially'uniform width throughout the overlapping portions ofthe'plates. The

'packing 28 obviously will be liexed around the ribsof the outer plateand into the ribs of the inner plate. when the bolts are tightened.

The operation of the device willbe apparent from the foregoingdescription. In each instance, fiatcollnpressible packing .preferably isemployed, and this packing 1s punched to receive the bolts 15. Theopenings one metank while the secondmechanic on the outside of the tankapplies and tightens the nuts.-

. overlapping plates, and in actual practice it has been found that thebolts may be placed on Ithree inch centers instead of two inchcenter's,as is the usual practice, and thus a saving is effected in thecost of the bolts and Yin the channels. portions of the sheets are soaltered in shape strength. In the of the inner and; outer platesregisterwithA each. Aotherto receive the bolts, and the tightening ofthebolts compresses the ackin to prevent f leakage. A In -assembling t etachanic inserts therbolts in the inside of the Y* ments accordingly are.eliminated with the consequent saving in material and in the costinvolved in stampin bolt receiving o enings oreover, the over apping asto provide bolt head receiving channels ,whereby any leakage occurringin the tank,

after it is filled, may be overcome b tighten- 'ingthe nuts 17, thechannels for the olt heads operating to prevent turning movement of thelatter. l

As previously stated, channels usually are em loyed for reinforcing theseams of tanks, van the channels are arran ed against the inner faceofthe inner ove-r a ing end of the tank sheet at each joint. nviousl thechannel prevents inward buckling o? the overla ping end against which itis arrange but has -no effect on the outer overlapping end, andaccordingly leakage often occurs through the bucklin of the outer sheetbetween the bolts. Tle resenty construction obviouslyeliminates t isdifficulty .by preventingboth sheets from buckling' made with relativelyiat over-lappin sheet ends, and accordingly the joints epend wholly uponthe shear of the bolts for their resent construction, the

boltsA are assisted y the grip provided between the interlockingportions of the sheets, and thus a much stronger joint is provided.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present constructionpossesses all of the advantages of the prior constructions, and inaddition possesses other advantages or importance.

Forv example, a more ecient leak-proof joint is provided, and aconsiderable saving is effected in labor and material. Manufacturersoften are ycalled upon to furnish oil storage tankson a short notice andthe present construction permits rapid manufacture due to thesavin intime necessa for cutting the channel lrons to lengths an punchingopenings therein, and after Amanufacture, the tanks may bemorerquick- 'eation of the channel ir'onsizan'dthe material reduction in fthe numberof bolts employed. L 1

AVhile I havefdescribed in detail the preferred embodin'lentry of myinvention it isvto be understood'z-'that various changes in the size,shape-rand: arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the subjomed claims.. Iclaim:

l set up due to the time saved'through then i 1. A tank constructioncomprising a. plu-y rality-'ofjside plates each adjacent air of hasvertical edges overlapping and provided with openings, one vertical edgeportion of each plate being .ribbed to reinorce the plate and to provide'a vertical channel, and bolts arranged in the openings of the platesand providedwith heads corresponding in size to and arranged in saidchannels whereby the latter prevent turning movement of the bolts.

2. A tank construction comprising a plul@ rality of side plates eachadjacent pair of which has its vertical edges overlapping and providedwith openings, one verticaldge portion of each plate being ribbed toreinforce the plate and to provide a vertical 35 channel, a compressiblepacking strip arranged between the overlapping edges of ea-ch pair ofplates, and bolts arranged in the openings of the plates and projectingthrough each packing strip and adapted to be tightened to clamp theoverlapping edges lof the plates together and to compress the p packingto force it into the ribs of the plates, the heads of the boltscorresponding in size to and arranged in the channels of the plateswhereby the latter prevent turning move- 'ment of the bolts.

3. A tank construction comprising a plu.

f which has its vertical edges overlapping with the inner overlappingedge provided' rality of side plates each adjacent pair o which has itsvertical edges overlapping and provided with openings, both verticaledge portions of each plate being ribbed to reinforce the plate with theribsof the overlapping portions of the plates registering with eachother, the ribs of the inward edge of each plate defining a channel, andbolts projecting through the openings of the plates and provided withheads corresponding in v size to and arramged in said channels wherebythe naaf 'p1-event o the bolts.

4. A tank construction comprising a plurality oi side plates eachadjacent pair of which has its vertical edges overlapping and providedwith openings, both vertical edge 5 portions of each plate being ribbedto reinforce the plate with the ribs of the overlapping portions oftheplates registering with each other, the ribs of the inward edge of eachplate defining a channel, a compressible 5 packing strip arrangedbetween the overla ping edges of each pair of plates, and bo ts arrangedin the-openings in the plates and projectin through each packing strip,the heads of t e bolts corresponding in size to and arranged in thechannels of the plates whereby the latter prevent turning, movement ofthe bolts.

5. A vtank construction comprising a plurality ofv side plates each`adjacent pair 'of w which has its vertical edges overlapping,

each vertical edge portion of each plate being provided with anoutwardly offset portion forming a rib of substantial vided centrally ofits width with a plurality u of openings, the rib of inner overlapping,i

turning movement of 6. A tank construction comprising a plurality ofside plates each adjacent pair of which has its vertical edgesoverlapping, each vertical edge portion of each late being provided withan outwardly o set portion forming a rib of substantial width providedcentrally of its width with a plurality .of openings, the rib of inneroverlapping edge of each plate. defining a channel inwardly of theplate, a compressible packing strip arranged between the overlappingyedges of each adjacent pair of plates,`and

bolts projecting through the openings of the lates and through thepacking strips and provided with heads corresponding in size to andarranged in said channels whereby the latter prevent turning movement ofthe bolts.

f y7. A tank construction comprising a plurality of side plates eachadjacent pair of with a pair of spaced lnwardly projecting ribs defininga channel, said overlapping edges being provided with openings lying ina lane between said ribs, a compressible strip `arranged between theoverlapping edges of each adjacent pair of plates, and bolts projectingthrough the openings of thel plates and through the packing strips andprovided with heads corresponding in size to and varranged in saidchannels whereby the latter prevent turning movement of the bolts.

8. A tank construction comprising a plurality of side plates eachadjacent pair of which has its vertical edges overlapping and providedin each edge with a vpair of inwardly projecting ribs, said overlappingedges being provided with openings lying in a plane between said ribs,the ribs of the inner overlapping edges of the plates defining channelsinwardly thereof, a compressible acking strip arranged between theoverapping edges of each adjacent` pair of plates, and bolts projectingthrough the openings of the plates and through the packing strips andprovided with heads corresponding in size to and arranged -in said cannels whereby the latter prevent turning movement of the bolts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN.

packing width pro-

